{
 "id": "mary-weston-fordham/bells-of-st-michael",
 "title": "Bells of St. Michael",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "Mary Weston Fordham",
 "poet_slug": "mary-weston-fordham",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Magnolia Leaves",
 "book_slug": "magnolia-leaves",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": 7,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1897,
  "venue": "Magnolia Leaves (1897)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/magnolialeavespo00ford"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/mary-weston-fordham_magnolia-leaves",
  "file": "magnolia-leaves.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://scalar.lehigh.edu/african-american-poetry-a-digital-anthology/mary-weston-fordham-magnolia-leaves-full-text-1897-preface-by-booker-t-washington",
   "https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/006775637"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 40,
  "n_stanzas": 5,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "Come and listen to the chiming",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of St. Michael’s merry bells,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "When the joyous Christmas morning,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All of Bethlehem’s story tells.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "When they sweetly chime the anthem",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "“Glory to be to God on high,”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "When the children swell the chorus,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Earth to heaven seems very nigh.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "On the gladsome Easter morning,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "When the earliest flow’rets bloom,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Snowdrops pure and violets purple",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Blend to scatter sweet perfume;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Then your happiest notes are poured forth,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then your Jubilee is heard,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Pealing out in joyful accents,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Chiming, “God is very good.”",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "From that ancient lofty turret,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Overlooking land and sea,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Peals of comfort have been wafted,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sounds of gladness o’er the lea.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Many a storm-tost, weary wanderer",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Looked to thee as hope’s bright star,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Listened to thy mellow chiming,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Smiling as he crossed the bar.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Ah! old bells, beneath your tolling,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Many a form lies buried low,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "’Neath the green-sward of “God’s Acre,”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Rest they, all their sorrows o’er.",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Softly wave the bending willows,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Sweetly sing the birds their lays,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Whilst thy dear old bells are clanging,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They are singing hymns of praise.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Dear old bells your music thrills me,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Whether rung in joy or woe,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "They recall the joyous spring time",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Of fond mem’ry’s “long ago”",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Sweetly chime through all the ages;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "As time’s cycles swiftly move;",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Peal forth loudly, God is gracious;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Whisper softly, He is love.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}